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Constellation
A constellation was an arrangement of stars in Realmspace as viewed in the night sky. Significance Clergy of Mystra, goddess of magic, held a regular ceremony in which they observed various stars and constellations, named them, and gave them reverence. Sometimes a silent image illusion was used to brighten stars and animate constellations, though this was a bit ostentatious. The Temple of Mystra in Wheloon did this every clear night in 1374 DR. They had a reason to do so: alignments of constellations in the heavens above gave magical power to similar events in the world below. In Kara-Tur, it was believed that the Moon Women of the Celestial Bureaucracy were responsible for steering the motions of the constellations along their courses. History The Centaur and the Woman Warrior came into full alignment, their swords crossing, in the summer of the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, in the evening as Waterdeep experienced the hottest day of the year. Meanwhile, unaware, Timoth Eyesbright, a heroic centaur, and Vajra Valmeyjar, a renowned warrior woman, had a protracted arm-wrestling contest in the Selûne's Smile tavern. The cosmic alignment amplified the power of their contest, which merged with magic that had sweltered in the heat and tore a mystic nexus point into a rift. This opened a door to an extra-dimensional prison, releasing Aviss and Fellandar to wreak a path of destruction in the city. Khelben Arunsun urged Vajra and Timoth to continue arm-wrestling to hold the door open, before he hurled the villains back in. Vajra and Timoth broke off, closing the rift. A new constellation, the Lady of Mystery, was identified after the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR, following the ascension of Midnight as the new goddess Mystra, the Lady of Mysteries. The stars composing that constellation were formerly considered to be two separate constellations, the Dragon of Dawn and the Firbolg. Known Constellations Faerûnian Constellations * The Centaur, viewable over the Sword Coast North in summer. * The Woman Warrior, viewable over the Sword Coast North in summer. * Amaunator's belt, viewable over the Spine of the World in summer. * Correlian, viewable in autumn. * A crown, viewable in the North in winter and autumn. * The Harp. * The Sword and Dagger. * The Lady of Mystery. * The Dragon of Dawn. * The Firbolg. * The Double Daggers (also known as the Two Jambiyas, the Eyes of Elah, or the Eye of the Watching Woman), which indicated true west in the North. * The Arrows of the Gods (also known as At'ar's Arrows, the Sun's Signpost, or the Caltrop), which indicated true east in the North. * Faeraula (also known as the Serpent of the Sands, the Sword of the South, the Southfires, or the Lightning Bolt), which indicated true south in the North. Zakharan constellations In Zakhara, twelve constellations named after Enlightened deities were recognized, each of which was visible in its completeness for three months of the year: Only eleven constellations were named in the source. The only other Enlightened deity named in any Al-Qadim source was Jarmik. * Hajama, visible in the Zakharan night sky in winter; * Hakiyah, winter/spring; * Haku, spring; * Jauhar, spring; * Jisan, spring/summer; * Kor, summer; * Najm, summer; * Selan, summer/autumn; * Zann, autumn; * Bala, autumn; and * Vataqatal, autumn/winter. Appendix Notes References Further Reading *Allen Varney (1991). Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix II, Constellate page. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-56076-071-0. Connections Category:Realmspace